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All Rise...

Chief Justice Michael Stailey was being held hostage by NASA in an old refrigerator, while the whole '70s Satan worshipping craze was going on.

The Charge

The village of Devil's End. A pagan festival. White witches. Black magic. And
a new Vicar who looks disturbingly familiar.

Opening Statement

UNIT Captain Mike Yates: "So all we've got to deal with is something
which is either too small to see or thirty feet tall, can incinerate you or
freeze you to death, turn stone images into homicidal monster, and looks like
The Devil."The Doctor: "Exactly."

Facts of the Case

BBC's live coverage of an archeological excavation at "Devil's Hump" catches
the attention of The Doctor (Jon Pertwee), but he and Jo (Katy Manning) arrive
too late to stop the townsfolk from unwittingly unleashing an ancient evil.
However, with the help of UNIT, they may just have enough power to put things
right before all Hell breaks loose…literally!

The Evidence

Ah, Jon Pertwee. The more time I spend with the Third Doctor, the more I
adore him. Having grown up during the Tom Baker years, there was no other
Doctor. Now, through wizened eyes of adulthood, I value what these other men
brought to the character and the series; my favorite now being Pertwee.

Over the years, Jon was often quoted as saying The Dæmons was
his favorite story arc and it's not hard to see why. It's an archetypal tale of
Good vs. Evil—The Doctor vs. The Master—couched in one of the era's
biggest fear-inducing issues (Satan Worship) and this family series did not shy
away from making the most of it. We get a full-on Black Mass, an animated stone
incubus, and an appearance by the horned one himself. Of course, this being Doctor Who, all is not what it appears,
as science often usurps those who believe in magic.

Also at play in this five-episode run that capped off the series' eighth
season, the great Roger Delgado (The Road
to Hong Kong) who defined the role of The Master; Nicholas Courtney as
UNIT's magnanimous Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart; Damaris Hayman (The Pink Panther Strikes Again)
as the outspokenly resourceful good witch Olive Hawthorne; a
village-of-the-damned populated by Stepford-esque minions; and a host of
progressive in-camera visual effects that adds to the overall creepiness of the
tale. There isn't anything here that will unnerve modern audiences, but it's the
perfect addition to your must-see Halloween DVD rotation. The isolated village,
a secret society fronted by a charismatic leader thirsting for power, a team of
heroes working against all odds to prevent the end of the world, and a big bad
*this close* to meeting our 1971 expectations of The Devil incarnate (just
ignore the costuming flaws).

Of course, there are those who will argue against the transparency of the
tale, the clunky dialogue, and often misguided or confusing character
motivations, but consider the era. This is not Russell T Davies or Steven Moffat
Doctor Who. There is just as much heady exposition and philosophical
discussion here, as there is demon hunting and racing against the clock. Credit
director Christopher Barry and his team for going above and beyond the call of
duty to take what could have easily been an overblown cheese fest and grounding
it in reality. In fact, The Doctor makes reference to The Master's quest for
limitless power as being similar to that of Gengis Khan and Adolph Hitler's
ambitious rise to power. And to me, that's when the series is at its best,
challenging viewers to consider where they fall on a particular issue without
ever trying to sway them in one direction or another.

The truly amazing this about this particular arc is that all but one segment
(Episode 4) were wiped clean from the BBC's videotape archives soon after its
original broadcast. What we have before us is a painstaking restoration from a
series of black and white non-broadcast recordings used to sell the series to
the United States back in the early '70s. Special thanks to the classic
Doctor Who DVD production team for salvaging this storyline.

Presented in standard definition 1.33:1 full frame, the visuals do show
their age, especially since the majority of it was shot on film stock in
exterior locations. Colors tend to be washed out, the black levels operate more
in shades of gray, and there's a varying amount of defects and grain from
episode to episode. No real complaints about the Dolby 2.0 Mono track, aside
from the occasional broadcast edit that trimmed its layers a bit too close.
English SDH subtitles are available for those who have trouble with thick
English accents or just need a quick reference when not paying too close
attention.

As always, BBC's Doctor Who team has done a magnificent job in
assembling a wealth of material guaranteed to enhance your viewing pleasure. It
kicks off with a 28-minute retrospective documentary called "The Devil Rides
Out." (Just wait until you see the title sequence). This is followed by a
rousingly insightful feature-length commentary from director Christopher Barry,
Katy Manning (Jo), Richard Franklin (Capt. Yates), and Damaris Hayman (Ms.
Hawthorne). We also get a tribute to the late writer/producer Barry Letts (33
min), a full episode colorization test from 1992, a 5-minute segment of BBC's
Tomorrow's World that details the restoration project, a silent 6-minute
8mm film shot on location by a member of the crew, production photo gallery, and
text features (Radio Times listings, production notes).

Closing Statement

Whovians rejoice! Doctor Who: The Dæmons is one of the series
great story arcs, and a must-see for Jon Pertwee fans.